Toronto Argonauts offensive lineman Dakota Shepley has announced his retirement on Sunday, according to Justin Dunk of 3DownNation.
Dakoda Shepley is six foot five and weighs 290 pounds. The 31-year-old from Windsor, Ontario, signed with the Toronto Argonauts on January 27, 2026. In 2026, he started 16 games and started in the Eastern Semi-Final against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, which the Argonauts lost 25-22.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders drafted Shepley in the first round (5th pick) of the 2018 CFL Draft, but he chose to sign with the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent on May 4, 2018.
Shepley played in three preseason games for the Jets before they released him on August 31, 2018. He signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders on March 19, 2019. In 2019, he started 18 games. They went 12-6 that season, losing to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Western Semi-Final. The Roughriders re-signed Shepley on November 27, 2019, but the season was cancelled due to COVID-19, and he opted out of his contract.
Shepley signed with the San Francisco 49ers on August 29, 2020. He also had stints with the Seattle Seahawks, Indianapolis Colts, and twice with the Dallas Cowboys. Shepley played in 16 career NFL regular-season games.
Collegiately, Shepley spent five seasons at the University of British Columbia (2013-17), playing right guard and right tackle in 42 games for the Thunderbirds. In his sophomore season, the Thunderbirds won the Vanier Cup in 2015. They finished the season with an 11-2 record, averaging 36.2 points per game, 443 yards per game, 316.9 passing yards per game, 143.3 rushing yards per game, and 47 touchdowns.
In 2017, he was named a Canada West All-Star after starting 10 games. UBC averaged 30.5 points per game, 434.9 yards per game, 312.6 passing yards per game, 142.7 rushing yards per game, and 39 touchdowns, finishing the season with an 8-3 record.
